Was I Even Home This Week????

I am exhausted. We had two splits this week and they overlapped and I went out to the Sisters' areas both times so I was gone for three days straight. I mean, technically the second split we did with the International Sisters so I was still in Frankfurt. But it just doesn't seem like you're actually there when you don't go home to the same place. It was weird. It was also TONS of fun. We're doing the same thing this week but thankfully the splits don't overlap so that will be good. Also, I'm taking over on the second split. WAT. I'm still lost when we walk out the door in the morning and I have no concept of how far away things are so I have no idea how long it will take to get places. It's fine. We gave the Zone Leaders advance notice, so everything should work out okay when I do get us lost.

As far as work goes, I don't think I've talked about the investigators here very much which is super sad because they're incredible! We're teaching this man named Kumar and he is SO PREPARED. The Sisters met him on the street and started talking to him about God and the Book of Mormon and he asked if he could meet with them to learn more. I was on a split for the last lesson we had with him, but Sister Porter (who serves in the International ward here) asked him how he met the missionaries and he said, "God sent them to me." HOW COOL IS THAT???? He has no Christian background, but he loves the Gospel and he loves feeling the Spirit! Two lessons ago at the very end he told us he had to say something and I was kind of nervous but then he said, "I just love coming here and talking with you. I love the power I get when I come here and learn more about this church and about God and the Book of Mormon. I just love it. Thank you for telling me these things."

MIRACLES.

He is so adorable, and I love him. Unfortunately, we have to give him to the International Elders this week because he doesn't speak German very well so he would need to go to the English ward, but he is incredible. I am so excited for when he gets baptized.

Next up is the Familie Turovski. They were a less-active family but one of their sons just got baptized and they've been coming to church for the last little while and it's awesome! We met with them this week and they are the greatest family! Bruder Turovski is hilarious and served his mission in Ukraine. Sister Turovski makes DELICIOUS food and is a bit sassy but super easy to get along with. Andriy, the one who just got baptized, does scouts! We had a great talk about scout camp and what sorts of activities he did at the camp he went to last year. I've only met with them once, but I already love this family a ton.

We have another investigator named Agnieszka (Agg-nee-shkuh) who I haven't met yet. She's been on vacation for a few weeks and we've just been waiting for her to get back. But she texted us on Sunday and said that she was back and that she would be at churchon Sunday and we could make an appointment then!!!! She sounds super cute, and I'm really excited to meet her. :)

The people that we get to meet with are just absolutely amazing and they are so prepared to hear the Gospel! I really have never been more tired in my life, but it's awesome! I love working to bring about the salvation of souls. It's great. :)

This week, I got to help teach English to a cute little German girl and her Russian grandmother, talk about the Abrahamic covenant with a new convert from China, and go super in-depth on the Plan of Salvation with a less-active who had a lot of questions. Also, we went to Eis Christina and got banana splits. It was basically the best day of my life. I love Eis Christina. We're going back this week because Sister Jeppesen has to enjoy as much of it as she can before she goes home. Speaking of which, she had her Leaver's Interview! That is so crazy because there is still so much of the transfer left! I mean, not really because it's a short transfer but we still have 3 weeks! That is so much time and not enough time at the same time! Krass.

We made Spätzle Apple Crisp yesterday during call-ins. Spätzle is a kind of noodle that is made with flour, water, and eggs. You cook it by pressing the dough/batter stuff through a strainer thing into a pot of boiling water. You know it's done because it floats to the top of the water when it's cooked. We put sugar and cinnamon in ours and then put it on top of a bunch of apples and cinnamon and then baked it for thirty minutes. It was actually really good, and I feel like someday, Deutschland will thank us for our contribution to their culture of food. Because really, you can put Spätzle with a ton of stuff. Like Cheese! Käse Spätzle is really good. I think we might make that for dinner tonight. Or Maultaschen. Those are delicious. They're like a little ravioli thing, but not. They look like ravioli, but they don't have ground beef or cheese inside. I'm not actually entirely sure what is inside of them. Whatever it is, it is super yummy and I like it a lot. You can boil them, fry them, or just eat them cold which is what I've done a lot lately because we don't have time to cook something most of the time. Spätzle Apple Crisp excluded. 

Anyways, in case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of hungry right now. We have plans to go to a wurst place in the center of the City (also known as the Zeil) called 'The Best Worscht in Town.' I am excited. It's going to be great. We also might get more ice cream. Maybe not though, because it has rained like, every day this week and it was POURING earlier. It's stopped for now, but we'll have to see what the weather does.

I love you all. I love this Gospel more than I can say. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be quite honest, that's not something that I always remember all the time. trying to become a Preach My Gospel Missionary is really hard and I've felt like I've kind of hit a wall in my progression lately. Giving everything over to the Lord is a lot easier said than done. But I'm trying. And I will keep trying and keep working and keep doing because there are souls at stake and I have spent enough time on my mission not fully appreciating that fact. There is no time to waste in the Lord's Vineyard! No time to waste in attending to the needs of His children, and no time to waste slacking off because we're tired. Excuses are not allowed and the only things that are are hard work and dedication. This Gospel is a Gospel of action, not reaction. If we want something out of it, we have to put something into it. I really, REALLY want to put EVERYTHING I have into it. I haven't done it yet, but I'm working on it. He can have every little part of me because I KNOW that He can make so much more of it than I can. I've seen it in the lives of our ward members, investigators, and even the beginnings of it in me. I am not the same person that I am when I left and I don't want to be anything close to that girl when I come home. I've seen how much better I can become and I have a long way to go but He said I can do it so I believe I can. The Gospel changes our lives and makes us into the people that God would have us be. It turns us into Christ-like leaders by teaching us how to be Christ-like followers. I am so grateful for the Gospel in my life and I am grateful for this great privilege that I have to preach it to my brothers and sisters in Germany. I am an imperfect servant, but I am so blessed by being allowed to be a blessing in the lives of others. It is truly awe-some.

I love you. Have a fantastic day, and a sunshine-filled week!

Liebe Grüße,

Sister John